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British officer served as pilot with 208 Sqdn, RAF in Egypt, 1952; served with 77 Sqdn Royal Australian Air Force in Korea 1953. Various RAF postings in GB, Germany and Far East, 1953-1968

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REEL 1 Background in Leamington Spa, 1930-1949: family; education; evacuation to Cotswolds during World War Two; ambition to be RAF pilot. Period of training with RAF 1949-1951: officer training course at RAF Cranwell; graduation; flying Meteor Mark 2 at Advanced Flying School, Middleton St George; air combat training at RAF Stradishall. Period with 208 Sqdn in Abu Sweir, Egypt and Persian Gulf, 1952-1953: posting to Abu Sweir, flying Meteor mark Nine; reconnaissance operations on Egyptian Army; Egyptian harassment of British troops; exercise Habbaniyeh, Iraq; photograph reconnaissance operation on coast of Crete, c1952; anti-slaving operations in Persian Gulf, 4/1953; role watching over Saudi intentions towards Buraimi Oasis. Recollection of operations with 77 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in Korea, 1953: secondment to serve with RAAF; rocket firing conversion course at Iwakuni, Japan, 5/1953; arrival at Kimpo airfield, near Seoul, 5/1953; types of rockets used including ones filled with napalm; method of conducting ground attacks; reversion to vigilance patrols after signing of cease-fire, 7/1953.
REEL 2 Continues: visit by Richard Nixon, autumn 1953; visit to 'freedom village' to meet released POWs. Recollections of various postings with RAF, 1953-1968: period as ADC to Air Marshal Harry Satterby at AOC 205 Group; posting to night fighter work with 153 Sqdn at West Malling, 1955; confidence in success of night fighter interception work should Russians attack; techniques used to intercept targets; role with Fighter Command when decision was made that air attacks were to be met by missiles rather than aircraft, c1956; posting to Geilenkirchen with 59 Sqdn, flying Canberras, 1957; role of squadron including nuclear; flying B18 Canberra; posting to 9 Sqdn at RAF Coningsby, 1957; work for Air Ministry, 1961-1964 including overseeing technical development of TSR 2 aircraft from 7/1961; work on P1127; contacts in NATO; work on predecessor of Harrier; impact of election of Labour Government, on air policy 10/1964; period as student RAF Staff College, mid 1960s:
REEL 3 Continues: story of exercise imagining how Goering would achieve air superiority over GB; role as air plans officer at RAF Changi, Singapore, c1967; use of network analysis; impact of defence reviews on work; prior recollection of visit to air strips during Indonesian Confrontation; question of disillusionment with RAF because of lack of fight to save aircraft projects like AW 681; leaving RAF, 6/1968; opinion of TSR2. Recollections of operations with 77 Sqdn, RAAF in Korea, 1953: question of anti-British feeling in squadron; low level of Communist opposition during operations; damage to aircraft in operations; attacks on Kimpo airfield by Chinese PO 2s; ground and air defences employed against PO2s; superiority of MiG 15s to Mustangs and Meteors; 'barter packs' carried by pilots; US air force presence at Kimpo; contact with US pilots; rescue of shot down pilots; nature of 'bomb-line'.

Submarines played a key role in operations throughout the Cold War. Commodore Frederic Thompson, kept himself and his crewmates entertained, by creating ‘radio’ programmes, which were then broadcast over the submarine’s internal speakers.